N. ORD.-EUPHORBIACE. 149 
GENUS.—EUPHORBI A, LINN. 
SEX. SYST.—_DODECANDRIA TRIGYNIA, 
HUPHORBIA 
IPECACUANH 2. 
AMERICAN IPECAC. 
SYN.—EUPHORBIA IPECACUANHA, LINN. 
COM. NAMES.—AMERICAN IPECAC,* WILD IPECAC,} CAROLINA IPECAC, 
IPECACUANHA SPURGEH, CAROLINA HIPPO; (FR.) HUPHORBE VOMI- 
TIVE; (GHR.) BRECHWOLFSMILCH. 
A TINCTURE OF THE WHOLE FRESH ROOT OF EUPHORBIA IPECACUANHZ, L. 
Description.— This tufted, shrub-like perennial grows to a height of from 6 
to 12 inches. oot long, perpendicular, thick, subcylindrical, branching; stems 
many from the same root, erect or more frequently diffusely spreading, diver- 
gently forking throughout ; Zeaves opposite, entire, glabrous, varying from obovate- 
oblong to narrowly-lanceolate, all very short petioled, and varying in color from 
shining green to brilliant red. /xflorescence on long peduncles arising from the 
forks ; zuvolucres 4 to 5 lobed; /odes ovoid; glands 5, obtuse, somewhat reniform, 
exappendiculate. /vuzt a long pedicelled, obtusely angled, nearly smooth pod; 
seeds ovate, white, sparsely pitted with impressed dots; caruzcle none. Read the 
description of Euphorbia and Euphorbiacez under E. hypericifolia, 147. 
History and Habitat.—The Ipecac Spurge is indigenous to the low sandy 
soils of the Atlantic seaboard from Florida to Mississippi, and northward to Long 
Island. This very singular and extremely amorphous plant represents in itself 
seven “Rafinesquian species,” so greatly does it vary in form, color, inflorescence, 
and leaf. 
The emetic property of this root was well known to the Aborigines, but the 
first experiments with it in practice were those of Prof. Hewson and Dr. J. R. Bar- 
ton, though the first mention of its emetic properties is that by Dr. Puihn. Shoepf 
adds nothing to what was already known; nor does Prof. Barton in his Collections. 
Prof. W. C. P. Barton considered it equal if not superior to imported Ipecacuanha.{ 
Dr. Bigelow observes,§ from his own experiments and those of Dr. McKeen at 
his instigation, that the species is an active emetic, safe when prudently adminis- 
tered, but injurious to the nervous system, and wanting in the mildness that 
characterizes officinal Ipecacuanha. The dose of the powdered root is from 10 to 
20 grains for its emetic action, which also at times proves cathartic, thus making 
it more active than Ipecacuanha in proportion to the amounts used. The American 
* A name also applied to Gillenia stipulacea, Nutt. (Rosacex.) 
+ Also applied to Gilenia trifoliata, Moen. (Rosacezx.) 
t Am. Med. Bot., 3, 117. 
% Veg. Mat. Med., 1, 217. 
